Process ahd apparatus eob befihutg- oils



. IJ. R; MILLER.

PROCESS AND APFARATUSFOR REFINING OILS.

^ APPLICATION man MAR.13. 191e.

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Patenjted Aug. 5, 1919.

WIT/VESSES Amm/frs JAMES RQYS vIl lIll-'LLIIEIR., 0F OKMULGE, OKLAHOMA..

PROCESS D APPARATUS FOR REFINING OILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1918. Serial No. 222,176.

To all whom t may concern:

13e it known that I, JAMES R. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ukmulgee, in the county of Okmulgee and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes andApparatus for Refining ils,'of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in processes and apparatus forrefining oil, and it consists in the steps hereinafter specified and inthe means for carrying out the steps.

An object of my invention is to provide a process for crackinghydrocarbon for gasolene, toluol or benzene, which is more economicalthat thel ordinary process, and which therefore produces these productsat a. relatively loT cost. v

A further object of my invention is to provide a process by means ofwhich it is possible to produce synthesized products of desiredcomposition at a relatively small cost.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel form of apparatusfor carrying out the cracking process, by means of which the processmaybe rendered continuous.

`A further object of my invention is to provvide a novel formofsyiithesis tower having a relativelylarge capacity thereby permittingthe gases and vapors to be held therein a sutlicient time to bring aboutthe desired reaction. while not interfering with the continued operationof the device.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specificationand the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part ofthis application. in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a novel forni of cracking tube, andsynthesis tower, and f Fig. 2 is a view showing sections ofa gas vaporreceiver, a fractionator and a condenser.

1n carrying out my invention, 1 provide a cracking tube 1 which isdisposed in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 1, in the in-l teriorof a furnace 2.`such as a gas fire apparatus which in the presentinstance is provided with injectors or burners 3, by means of whichliquid or gaseous fuel may be fed into the furnace. The arrangement issuchJ that the hottest part of the tube is toward lthe bottom, and tothis end an exit Hue l is provided toward the bottom of the furnaceso asto cause the products of comcontrolled by a damper 6. A pipe 7 alsocommunicates with the flue A and is provided with a damper S.

Alltattenteadl Aug.. 5., 12119.

At the bottom of the cracking tube 1 a receiver 9 -for the carbon andheavy oils. This is provided with a drain pipe 10 controlled by a valve11. A pipe 12 leads from the receiver to the gas synthesis tower 14, thepipe 12 being controlled by a valve 13. The pipe 74 conducts theproducts of combustion inte the space 15 which .sur-l rounds thesynthesis tower. 1While ll have shown the casing or body portion of the`furnace 16 which heats the synthesis tower as heilig separate from thefurnace 2, it will be obvious that-these two structures might be madeintegral without departingr from'` the spirit of the invention.

The gas synthesis tower is preferably made of some conducting materialsuch' as sheet steel or other suitable heat conducting meta-l. It willbe noted that the exit flue 17 is near the top of the heating device.

Disposed within the synthesis tower is a central partition 18 whichextends from the bottom ofthe device upwardly, but ter screen 19. At thebottonrof the synthesis tower are two pipes 20' 'and 21 which arecontrolle-dby the valves 20x and 21", re`

spectively; A series of pipes'22, 23, 24:, 2'5 and 26 which arecontrolled by the valves 22x. 23X, 24x. 25X and 26X respectively,communicate with the gas synthesis tower at different points, the pipe22 being disposed at a point below the upper end of the partition 18,while the pipes 23, 24, 25 and 26 are arranged below the pipe 22 asclearly `niinates short of a perforated plate or' shown in the drawing.At the top of thev fractionator is a pipe 35 whichfleads to the intocompartment B. Any

condenser coil of the condenser 37. The latter is preferably filled withcold water so that the coil 36 is submerged.

' From the fore oing description of the various parts of t e apparatus,the process of refining the oil may be readily understood. The processof producing gaso-lene is as follows:

The crude oil is admitted into the to of the cracking tube 1 through apipe 38. PThe oil passes down the tube and due to the heating` action iscracked into gases and vapors. These gases and vapors pass down throughthe tube into the carbon and heavy .oil receiver 9 and thence throughthe vapor line 12 to the gas synthesis tower. The valve 13 is normallyopen, but may be closed when the contents of the receiver 9 isdischarged through the pipe 10 so as not to disturb the gases and vaporsin the synthesis tower.

The cracking tube is maintained at a temperature greater than 500o F.and under a pressure of over 50 pounds. n

The synthesis tower is maintained at the `same, pressure as that in thecracking tube but at a lower temperature. The gases'and vapors from thevapor line pass into compartment A of the synthesis tower and .thenceover the partition 18. The light fixed gases passthrough the perforatedplate 19 into the upper portion of the tower and are then pumped backagain through the pipe 40 by means of the pump 39 into the cracking`tube.

he heavier gases and vapors pass over vapors which pass into the eXtremetop 45 of the synthesis tower are condensed and are returned to thetower. The trapped' gases unite with the olelin hydrocarbons coming fromthe crackzone, and form parafin hydrocarbon or other low boilinghydrocarbon, thus pre-` ing venting the formation of higher polymeridsand condensation products of the ole- It will be notedthat the tower,has a relatively large capacity. This makes it possibleI to remove onlya small per cent. of the gases and vapors that have been formed, whichis not possible with most tube processes. It also permits the formationof synthesized products of `desired composition. By returning the fixeddry gases to the through the pipe 28.

p tower pass down into the bottom of the coinpartment A.

The heavy or wet gases and vapors which pass into compartment B asbefore explained, nowl pass on out through the pipes 22 to 20 inclusiveinto the gas receiver. It will be understood that notl all of thesepipes 22 to 2G are used at once but they are provided in order that thegases and vapors may be taken off at a. lower or higher point asdesired. Since the passage of the gases and vapors through the synthesistower is so slow, the heavy oils that have been carried over drop out tothe bottom of the compartment B and are removed through the pipesprovided for that purpose, thereby removing the oils from thegases andvapors. The gases and vapors conveyed through the pipes 22 to :26inclusive now enter the receiver 27. This receiver is undersubstantially the same pressure as that on the synthesis tower, thepressure being derived from the steam coils 34 and 33 which convey drysteam through the fraetionator and thence into the receiver. The purposeof providing the back pressure on the receiver is to prevent. the gasesand vapors from passing too rapidly through the synthesis tower.

The back pressure is relieved by the release cock 33X and then the gasesand vapors are permitted to pass into the fraction-.ttor Thefractionator is maintained at substantially a temperature of 210-450degrees F., by means of the steam coil 33, so thatthose heavy oils suchas kerosene or gas oil', etc., may be removed. For this p-urpose,.Iprovide a goose-neck trap, at the bottom of the fractionator, this trapbeing shown at 42.

VThe gases and vapors now pass out through the fractionator at the topthereof, through the pipe 35 and thence to the condensing coil 36. Inorder 'to assist in this operation, steam may be admitted through,thepipe 43 into the interior of the fraction- The process describedabove may be used for cracking the heavy hydrocarbons having boilingpoints froln 350 F. to 800O F. obtained from the distillation of crudepetroleum, residuurn or other hydrocarbon oils,

`to obtain low boiling products such as gasolene, cracked gasolene,synthetic gasolene or 'the lighter fixed gasolene substitutes. It mayalso be used in cracking solvent naphtha or other suit.- ablehydrocabron for tolucl,- benzene, etc. The finished products will be lowin unsaturated hydrocarbons which give bad color and odor to crackedgasoleiie made by other processes.

I claim l. In an apparatus for rening oil, a cracking tube, a synthesistower communicating. with said cracking tube, means for returning lightfixed gases from said synthesis tower to said cracking tube, a gas andvapor receiver in communicationwith said synthesis tower for receivinggases and vapors, a fractionator for removing heavier portions of saidvapors'and a condenser for condensing the lighter portions separated bythe fractionator.

2. In an oil refining apparatus vthe combination of a cracking tube, asynthesis tower in communication with said cracking said cracking tubeand said synthesis tower being under pressure, means for returning gasesfrom said synthesis tower to said cracking tube, means for drawing offthe heavier oils carried over fromv said cracking tube, a gas and vaporreceiver, means for introducing gases and vapors Jfrom said synthesistower in said receiver, a frac- -tionator in communication with saidre-v ceiver, means for separating the heavier portions of the vapor insaid fractionator, and a condenser forcondensing the lighter portionsthereof, said condenser being con-- nected withy the upper rend' of saidfractionator.

3. In a device for refining oil, a vertically disposed cracki of tube, asynthesis tower communicating rtlierewith, a gas and vapor receivercommunicating with the synthesis tower, a fractionator communicatingwith said gas receiver,`a condensercommunicating with the fractionator,means for heating the cracking tubeandv the synthesis tower, saidcracking tube and synthesis tower being under pressure, means forreturning a portion of the lighter rases from said synthesis tower tosaid crackin tube, means for drawing oft` the heavier oi s carried overfrom said cracking tube to said synthesis i tower, means for conductinggases and vapors from said synthesis towerinto said gas receiver, meansfor heating said fractionator, and means for cooling said condenser.

el. In a device for refining oil', a vertically disposed crackinortube,` a synthesis tower communicating tierewith, a gas and vaporreceiver communicating with the 4, synthesis tower, a fractionatorcommunicating with said gas receiver, aAv condenser communicating withthe fractionator, means for heating the cracking tube and 'the synthesistower,

tube

said cracking tube and synthesis tower being under pressure, means forreturning a portion of the lighter gases from said synthesis tower tosaid cracking tube, means for drawing off the heavier oilsl carried overfrom said cracking tube to said synthesis tower into said receiver, asteam coil for heating said fractionator, means connected with saidsteam coil Afor subjecting the receiver to pressure, and means forcooling the condenser.

5. In a device for refining oil, a synthesis tower comprising a casing,means for heatting the casing means for introducing gases -into thecasing, means for withdrawing the heavier oils carried by the gases thusintroduced, means for withdrawing the lighter fixed gases withdrawingvapors and gases of a specific gravity between the other productswithdrawn from the synthesis tower.

6. In a device for refining oil, a synthesis tower comprising a casing,means for heating the casing, a pipe for introducing gas intothe'casing, a partition disposed within the casing `for trapping gasesand vapors, means for withdrawing light fixed gases from theI top of thetower, and means for withdrawing heavier products on both sides of saidpartition. i v 7. In a device for refining oil, a synthesis towercomprising a casing, means for heating the casing, a pipe forintroducing gas into the casing, a partition disposed within the casingfor trapping gases .and vapors, means for withdrawing light fixed gasesfrom the top of the tower, means for withdrawing heavier products onbothsides of said partition, and a perforated plate disposed between theupper end of the` partition and the top of the casing.

f 8.The herein described process of refining oil which consists incracking the oil, removing a portion of the gas and vapor thus formed,separating the gas thus rey moved into light fixed gases, vapors of aspecific gravity between the light and the heavy products,vfractionating the vapors, portions of the vapors thus fractionated.

9. The herein described process ofreining oil whiclr consists incracking oil tovgether with a portion of light fixed gaspreviouslyremoved from a portion of the oil, separating the cracked gas and vaporinto a light fixedgas, a heavier vapor and a still heavier oil,withdrawing the wet gas from the other products, fractionating the vaporinto a heavy and a light product, separating out the heavy pro luct,andcondensing the light product.

from the tower, and means forv heavy oils and and condensing the lighter

